Steele macxate



UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

STEELE MACKAYE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPECTATORIA COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SLID'ING STAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,485, dated January 24, 1893.

Application iiled May 25, 1892. Serial No. 434,293. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, STEELE MACKAYE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Sliding Stages; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in stage appliances, and has special reference to devices for producing scenic effects.

The object of the invention is to provide a sliding or movable stage and means for handling or moving and controlling the movements ofstages or stage equipments and scenery with facility so as to adapt such devices to be easily moved forward or back,. sidewise or in an oblique direction across or in front of 'a proscenium opening, and to readily change the direction of motion so as to produce the desired result in shifting set or other scenes or stage appliances or equipments.

Theinvention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Referring to the drawings in which similar letters of reference are used to denote similar parts in each of the several views, Figure l, represents a side elevation of a stage embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan, illustrating the steering mechanism in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the same; and Fig. 4, is a transverse section thereof.

A, denotes an elevated platform or stage, which may be of any desired construction and of any suitable size and dimensions, and which is mounted upon wheels B, B, so that it may be easily moved when desired. The wheels B, are preferably journaled in the lower ends of bifurcated standards b, b, the upper ends of which are provided with vertical studs or spindles which are journaled or swiveled in the frame pieces a, a, of the stage proper A.l

C, denotes an oscillating lever which may -be pivoted to a cross-piece c of the frame underneath the floor of the stage, and is preferably connected at one end to an operating rod or handle C', and at the opposite end to a longitudinally sliding or reciprocating rod D, by means of a stud or pin d, upon the rod working in a slot c, of the lever. One end of the rod D is connected to a bracket or arm d projecting inwardly from one of the rear wheel standards b, and the opposite end of said rod is pivoted to a corresponding arm e of a bell-crank lever or bracket E, secured to the front standard b, atpthe same side of the 6o stage. The opposite set of wheel-standards b, b, are similarly connected by a longitudinally reciprocating rod D one end of which is pivoted to an arm cl2, on the rear standard Z), while the opposite end thereof is pivoted to an arm e of a bracket or bell-crank lever E', secured to the front wheel standard on the same side of the stage.

F denotes a transversely arranged reciprocating rod the ends of which are pivoted to 7o the rearwardly projecting arms e2, e3, of the bell-crank levers E, E', so as to form a pivotal connection between the same and said bellcrank levers and longitudinally reciprocating rods D, D', whereby the four (more or less) 7.5 supporting and steering wheels are adapted to be simultaneously turned on their vertical pivots or spindles to cause them to move in accord with each other in any desired direction; their horizontal axles being parallel with 8o each other. By this means, when the wheels are in the position indicated in Figs. land 2, the stage may be moved longitudinally, and by manipulating the actuating rod C the steeringwheels may be turned either to the right or left for the purpose of causing the stage to move at any desired angle either forward or back, or across the platform or foundation on which it is mounted, so as to permit a series of independent stages to be pro- 9o pelled back and forth or at any desired angle in respect to each other for the purpose of exhibiting paintings, Statuary, scenery or' whatever may be desired in producing scenic eifects; one stage being adapted to be moved 9 5 across the path oratrightangles to another or in an oblique direction in respect thereto or parallel therewith, and at the same or different rates of speed for the purpose of producing the desired perspective or other scenic effect. roo

VIVhile I have designed this steering mechanism specially for stages, it is manifest that the same may be applied to various other uses and to stage or other furniture if desired, and hence I do not desire to be limited in the application of the invention to the particular use stated. It is also apparent that the arrangement of the rods and levers may be varied in a number of ways for accomplishing the simultaneous movement of the steering Wheels, so as to cause the stage to move in the desired direction. For instance, an extension ot' one of the longitudinal or transverse rods may serve as a lever for moving the Wheels and instead of two longitudinal rods a single rod may be employed with two transverse rods connecting the wheels at the ends of the stage. If desired a hand lever and rackebar for securing and holding the parts in the desired adjustment may be connected with the free end ot' the actuating rod C or may be substituted for the oscillating lever and rod by interposing a connecting link between said lever and one of the longitudinally reciprocating rods.

Having th us described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A movable stage comprising a suitable platform mounted on steering wheels or rollers having their axles or spindles arranged parallel with each other and itted in retable standards or supports, together With mechanism connecting the rotable supports to a common actuating lever, whereby the several wheels may be moved in unison for the purpose of changing the direction of motion, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the stage or platform, the vertically pivoted rotable Wheel supports or standards, the wheels journaled in said standards, the longitudinally reciprocating rods pivotally connecting said standards in pairs, the transverse rod connecting two standards of opposite pairs of Wheels, and means for reciprocating said rods so as to simultaneously rotate said Wheel supports in the same direction, substantially as described.

3. In stage appliances, the combination with the movable platform or body, the pivotally connected steering and supporting wheels or rollers journaled in rotable supports beneath said body and mechanism for simultaneously rotating said supports in the same direction so as to control the movements of the body, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the stage and wheeled supports pivoted thereto, the steering mech anism comprisinga pairof reciprocating rods and a transverse rod pivotally connecting arms or brackets projecting from the pivoted wheeled supports, an oscillating lever having one arm pivoted to one of said rods, and an actuating rod pivoted to the other arm thereof and provided with a suitable handle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEELE MACKAYE.

Vitnesses:

PowEL CRosLEY, SIDNEY CLARKE WHITE, J 

